MBOMEN 30

Chapter 30. The Beast of Kizel (7)
‘What the hell is this…?!’

Yustar frowned deeply. The monster’s speed was unbelievable. He had known it was fast, but seeing it with his own eyes and facing it directly were entirely different experiences.

To be this fast with such a massive body… Yustar thought. Still, he remained composed.

He yanked his sword with all his strength, which had pierced the monster’s hard upper palate. With a sharp crack, a metallic-looking tooth shattered. Thick, dark blood splattered out.

“Sir Yustar! Watch out!”

The monster let out a terrible scream and thrashed its head. With earth-shaking thuds, its massive body quickly pulled back. While it howled in pain, Yustar also stepped back, shaking the blood off his sword.

A low growl resonated—unlike any animal. It was a sinister sound only a creature not of this world could make.

Yustar saw the spikes running along the monster’s back stand up even straighter. At the same time, it lowered its body and flattened its belly to the ground.

“Careful! It’s going to charge! Those spikes are poisonous if you’re pierced!”

The squad stood their ground, tense and ready with drawn swords and bows. Yustar also widened his field of vision, heightening his awareness. Every nerve felt sharp, and chills ran down the back of his neck.

—KRAAAHH—!

With a screech that pierced their ears, the monster lunged. Even the finest archer’s arrow or the fastest rapid-fire gun couldn’t match that speed.

Yustar leapt into the air in an instant—and the boulder behind him exploded into dust.

—HISS, KRAAACK—!

“Sir Yustar, fall back from the river!”

He quickly checked his footing upon hearing the squad member’s voice. As he cautiously stepped back—splash—the sound was loud in his ears, amplified by his heightened senses. A cold sweat slid down his back. It was freezing.

“Sir Yustar! Don’t go toward the riverbank!”

Then came a scream. One squad member had failed to dodge the monster’s sweeping tail and was sent flying through the air.

It’s agitated. Yustar calmly held his ground against the beast.

As he approached the river, the monster went berserk and thrashed violently, preparing to strike again like lightning. But it seemed fully aware of the damage Yustar’s single sword strike had inflicted.

‘The Sink is nearby…’

Yustar glanced toward the river. He could feel the ominous presence—the kind that seemed to suck the life out of you. The aura of the Sink.

But the Sink should be in deeper waters. Even though he was still in shallow waters that barely reached his feet… he could feel it. Its presence was immense.

「Yustar, be careful!」

A sudden voice startled him, nearly making him lose his balance. Only then did he notice the ring on his hand.

‘Damn, I forgot about the communicator. It’s still only linked to Lila. No wonder…’

Olga had probably been screaming into his disconnected communicator. While there was no limit to how many people could connect, he had set it to only link with Lila when he gave her the device.

Not that it matters now. Yustar licked his dry lips and shifted his head slightly. The monster still hadn’t charged, merely growling.

“Lila, can you hear me?”

「Yes, I can. Be careful. You need to—」

“How’s the front-row seat? Can you see well?”

There was a brief silence. Yustar could vividly imagine the baffled expression on her face. Even in this tense moment, the image of her wide red eyes made him want to smile.

「…Yes, I can see just fine. But now’s really not the time—」

“Then listen carefully. I’m going to drive it away from the river. Where do you think is best? You’ll get a better view from up high.”

Lila quickly scanned the area. A gust of wind made her sway. The air reeked of blood…

Away from the river, only the forest remained. But if they went into the forest, would the beast slow down? Likely not. The clutter would only endanger Yustar and the squad.

Lila spoke.

“Yustar, what if you lured it toward the river instead?”

There was a brief crackle from the communicator before Yustar’s voice came through.

「No way. It’s much faster in water. If we get dragged in, it’s over.」

Lila nodded as if he were right in front of her.

“I know! I know that. But… something’s off. Every time it turns toward the river, its balance shifts a little. From up here, I can see it clearly. It leans toward the river.”

「Is it injured?」

“I don’t think so. It’s more like it’s… preparing. As if it’s always ready to dive in.”

Yustar stared down the monster, which was charging again, and readjusted his grip on the sword. The river… No, it was too dangerous. But what if Lila was right?

He stepped away from the water. The gravel crunched under his feet. The monster’s body subtly tilted to the opposite side. A tiny shift, but Yustar clearly saw it.

It’s like when you’re about to make a sharp turn. You lean. Yustar realized: if you’re running straight and suddenly hit a bend, your body tilts.

Even the slightest invisible slope matters. Which meant the monster was constantly on alert for the river.

‘So it is obsessed with the Sink? It’s trying to protect it? But why…?’

Just then, a squad member from the front line shouted.

“Sir Yustar! Communication from the commander! She says we have to drive it in now!”

That’s probably not all she said. Yustar chuckled dryly. Olga had likely cursed at him furiously.

Yustar said:

“Lila, I need you to watch for the moment its balance shifts the most. I can’t sense it clearly from down here. Can you do that?”

A sharp wind blew. Crouching low, Lila spoke into her ring.

“I’ll try.”

「You have to watch closely. My life’s in your hands.」

Did that pressure her? Probably. But he didn’t regret saying it. Lila would face this pressure again and again. She had to endure. Continuously.

Yustar shouted:

“All survivors! Shift the blockade right and fall back! I’ll lure it—don’t move until I give the order!”

At that moment, the monster twisted its body and let out a long screech. Yustar raised his sword to draw its attention.

Then suddenly, with inhuman speed, he dashed away from the squad.

“Sir Yustar!”

Lila, watching from above, realized he was using a magical device. The same one he used back in Lizicus while holding her—allowing him to run as if defying gravity.

From her high vantage point, he looked like a smooth pebble skimming across ice—gliding flawlessly.

—KRAAHH—!!

A screech followed right behind him. The thudding ground, the monstrous head flailing side to side—it all echoed with terror.

Yustar focused only on the wind slicing past his ears. Then, suddenly, he veered sharply toward the river.

“Sir Yustar!”

“No, don’t—!”

The squad members watching screamed. But Yustar had already gone too far to hear them.

As he leapt over the river, ripples flared up beneath his toes.

Running along the shallow stream, Yustar turned his head up. Lila’s frantic voice came through the communicator.

「Yustar, now! Now!」

He twisted his body and slid straight into the center of the river. The water fanned out, engulfing him.

The moment the freezing water slapped his cheeks, the monster lunged, head thrashing.

Its sharp teeth glinted. A foul, rotting stench filled the air as it came down on Yustar.

But he kicked the water behind him and twisted his body mid-air. As the beast lunged, its center of gravity shifted—unable to support its own weight.

As the monster stumbled, Yustar clenched his jaw, spun like a top, and swung his enormous sword like a club.

—KRAAAHH—!

A deafening crash followed. Loud enough to shake the river, rocks, and the entire canyon. In the dazed flash before his eyes, Yustar saw trees collapsing at once. The beast was flying—unbelievably high.

At that same moment, a dark violet mist exploded from Division 2’s direction.

“It’s falling! Grab it!”

Olga, standing precariously on a narrow ledge, shouted.

She had instantly vaporized a huge amount of Lila’s paralytic tincture and blasted it at the beast. Its flailing body stiffened, and with a crash, it fell below in a storm of sand and dust.

Lila watched it all from atop a boulder. When Yustar had struck the monster skyward with just one sword, she had been too stunned to speak.

Then, when Olga detonated all that tincture and stood unscathed, she was even more shocked.

Squad members rushed toward the fallen beast. As Lila gasped for breath, Yustar’s voice came through the communicator.

「Are you okay, Lila?」

She looked down at the device. At that moment, Yustar’s sword fell from his hand.

“Yustar! What’s wrong? Are you hurt?!”

There was only heavy breathing for a moment. Then, Yustar slowly turned his head.

Even from far away, Lila knew he was looking at her. She even felt like their eyes met.

Yustar smiled faintly and said:

「I’m okay. I think I dislocated my shoulder… I guess that thing was too big to throw.」